Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Age limit on the mountain ?

OK, this is probably going to be controversial but it won't be a first, or probably last, for me.
I don't wish to offend anyone, and I say this as the persons i'm referring to maybe reading this, however common sense has to previal.

I, with two friends, did the one day summit yesterday, by the way, in absolutely perfect conditions. Tee shirts on the switchbacks at 6:00am about as strange as spotting sasquatch.

On our way down the switchbacks we passed, going up, a couple along with a child of about 4 years old. We all looked at each other in shock and amazement. The woman did have a back carrier for the child but come on, is it safe or sensible to have a child that young that far up a mountain ?

For all I know the couple may have gone up in stages, outpost to base camp, may have taken their time etc.

If you go to Disneyland there are rides that require a certain age for safety reasons, should there not be a minimum age to be on a mountain ?

When will people learn to respect the mountain ?
Maybe i'm over cautious but I don't go to the summit without more than enough liquids, food, additional clothing, first aid kit, space blanket etc etc.

Yep, you opened a can o' worms... wonder how old Doug jr was when his Pop took him a' hikin'?
Ever had kids? They have bountiful energy, but when the fun is done, they shut down... neither cattle prod nor Happy Meal will make a kid go one more step...
Child carrier, Dad's come equipped with one, it's called his shoulders...
That hiking child is the next generation of hiker who will appreciate the beauty and fragility of nature...
I can understand your observations, but really, it will be fine...

What are the dangers you're worried about?

How is this being disrespectful to the mountain?

Hm. If a child of that age developed AMS, how would the parents know until he/she became lethargic and/or started vomiting...?

quote]How is this being disrespectful to the mountain? [/quote]

+1

Nothing gives me greater joy that bringing my daughter into the mountains and there are few ways I would rather see her spending her time.

That child made it to the top of Whitney. She had previously summitted San Gorgonio and Mt Baldy. Twice.

What makes you think that there was no extra clothing or food, etc in the backpack? There was food for 1 day, 2 layers of extra clothing for the child, one extra layer for adults, emergency blanket and the 10 essentials. Plus 8 liters of water/ electrolyte solution and a filter.

The trip was over few days, with few days prior spent at 10000 feet. And a plan to return should there be any problem with any of the members, with or without reaching the summit.

outdoorsy, I would enjoy reading a trip report, recounting what I would guess was an enjoyable family adventure, which obviously included a background of thoughtful preparation and good trail sense.

As for age limits, my guess is anywhere from 0+ to 100+ is fine, with proper acclimation, conditioning, and attentiveness to well-being on the trail. There is literature indicating that children adapt at least as well as adults to altitude.

Several years ago I encountered a couple with a small infant descending the slabs below Upper Boyscout Lake; the dad had a backpack with a custom built-in infant carrier on top. I wish I had had the presence of mind to ask if they had summited with him/her, but I was heading up and I think my brain was too hypoxic at the time to formulate any questions

I made my first Whitney summit the same day as this beautiful 4 year old and the parents. I knew there was a possibility of them following us up, as they were staying at Trail Camp near us the night before. As I was getting ready to descend, this family made it to the top. It was so exciting! My hubby and I stayed longer to spend some time up top with them. It was such a priviledge to be able to take a Summit picture for this adventurous family. This 4 year old was an inspiration for me, as I struggled my way back to Trail Camp.

AMS in children is assessed by the Lake Louise Score for AMS. Symptoms are:
Headache
Appetite changes
Fatigue and/or weakness
Dizziness
Difficulty sleeping
A score more than 3 is considered diagnostic for AMS. With proper training most parents can use this score to recognize AMS

If the child is nonverbal, there is a fussiness score as well that is considered. The Lake Louise Score is modified to evaluate for eating, playfulness and sleeping in a nonverbal child.

Prevention of AMS, just like in adults, can be enhanced with acetazolamide. Dose in children is 2.5mg/kg with a max of 125mg po q 12 hrs. Treatment should start the day before ascent and continue 2-3 days at maximum altitude. The same dose can be used for treatment of mild AMS.

Gradual ascent and acclimatization are primary method of prevention of AMS, and HAPE (high altitude pulmonary edema).

Disneyland requires that children under a specific age, usually 7, be accompanied by an adult, assuming the child meets the height criteria.

Tee shirts are not good on the mountain. They are made of cotton, and cotton retains moisture. Also, there is too much exposure from the elements, both sun and wind. That increases risk of dehydration.

What's the minimum age limit for "It's a Small World" ?

Saw the same family at Trailside Meadow as we were coming down on 07-25-12. They were going up. Looked like they were all having fun.

A couple of years agom, my wife and I saw a father take his 2-year-old boy up Half Dome in a kid carrier...again, both were having fun.

If I saw a 100-year-old person on the mountain going up or down, I would bow in reverence and chat and follow for a while.

Age ain't nuthin but a number.

I saw the family at the WPS on Friday night. At 4, I'm sure she could make any discomforts known to her parents. Now, if this were an infant in a carrier, I'd be ranting right along with you...

BTW: Earlene and Amy had to take some grief because there weren't any "I Climbed" shirts available in the child's size...

BTWII: I climb almost exclusively in cotton all summer long. I like the fact that it retains moisture. It keeps me cool when the mountains get uncomfortably hot (for me). If the weather changes, I've got other (proper) gear I can change to.

Re: infants, I was startled the first time I encountered a couple with an infant at high altitude (over 9500ft), and I later asked a physician friend about it (who also happens to be an avid backpacker); he felt it wasn't a problem aside from requiring cautious ascent rate and careful vigilance for discomfort. My own response is one of admiration colored by a certain degree of anxiety about the idea; but the anxiety also feels rather civilized. And it is not likely to ever be a personal issue, so it's easy for me to armchair about it.

Hi all,
Thanks for the comments.
Just a couple of things, Richard said he would be concerned if the infant were in a child carrier, the mother was carrying a child carrier so we presumed at some point the infant would be in it.
Secondly, per Nick's comments, we were anxious as much as anything.

These situations are always wonderful until something goes wrong, then adding an infant multiplies the dificulty of the situation.

I guess I err on the cautious side, I have seen way too many hikers get into trouble due either to things out of their control such as sudden weather changes as happens on mountains or due to poor judgement often as a result of exhaustion.

My comments relating to respect of the mountain were targeted at making sure you understand what you are getting into, the fact that this is an environment that can quickly change from passive to aggresive, that you are going up to a very high altitude and that you could be hiking for longer than you might previously have done.

We all do this type of hike because we love the environment that we are exposed to and for some, the challenge delivers a sense of accomplishment.

A last word....
Massive thanks to Doug for his endless supply of great advice and wisdom.

Glad I stumbled on this post. I've climbed Whitney some twenty times over the last seven years. Now that I'm a mom, I fantasize about when I'll be able to take my girls up with me (now age 2 and 1). I figured I would try to take the oldest when she's 4 years because she's quite adventurous. She regularly runs long distances with me and will definitely let me know when she's tired, thirsty, hungry, or otherwise uncomfortable.

For us, the hard part isn't deciding to let her climb. It's how we'll get her there. Since I normally fly myself in from Palo Alto for a day hike, and I have yet to fly with her, I'm interested to see how she'll do in the air.

There's risk to everything in life but I'm pretty sure the parents are well-read and know what they're doing. Kuddos to them for taking her out to show her the outdoors. What a trooper!

"the mother was carrying a child carrier so we presumed at some point the infant would be in it."

A four year old is not an infant. And a child carrier is great for carrying other stuff, like the bear canister or the wag bags.

Oh, yes: The "Cotton Kills" campaign was quite popular a few years ago. Sold a whole lot of stinky synthetics, until UnderArmour realized that the evaporative mechanism of wet cotton has a fabulous cooling effect in the Summer heat and came out with their equally fabulous Charged Cotton line. As a regular trail runner in 100+ temps, I can attest that nothing comes close to the cooling effects of cotton in the heat of the day. (these same properties would work against you in the winter)

Okay, back to our regularly scheduled rant about kids on the mountain...

Awesome!!! That baby looks like she is having fun!